Researchers uncover metabolic secrets of anaerobes and identify new strategies to treat C. difficile infections

A team of investigators from Mass General Brigham's founding members, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), has identified metabolic strategies used by Clostridioides difficile to rapidly colonize the gut. The findings identify methods to better prevent and treat the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and health care–acquired infections (HAIs). The team's approach has implications for understanding broader aspects of microbial metabolism, including responses to antibiotics, and production of important metabolites. Results are published in Nature Chemical Biology.